CM PRESS # 842

PARIS HILTON COULD LOSE THE DOG AND CARRY THIS GUY IN HER PURSE INSTEAD
LINK
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COSTA MESA WANTS TO RESTRICT USE OF FAIRGROUND TO FAIR USES
LINK

This will be struck down so fast when legal action starts that it'll make your head spin. Here's a few words that you'll be hearing: inverse condemnation; eminent domain; unlawful taking; de facto taking.

Don't get us wrong. We're not saying that we're pleased that the Fairgrounds is being sold or that it will eventually be turned into homes, offices and retail space, but we are saying that the City really doesn't have much control over this, and there's lots of case law against a city trying to keep a property owner from using his property for its highest and best use or in a profitable manner.
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THE OC REGISTER ASKS: CAN BRETT ROGERS BEAT FEDOR EMELIANENKO?
LINK

Our opinion is that he can't, unless Fedor is laid up with the Swine Flu, and even then it's doubtful.


You can watch the MMA fight for free on CBS on November 7.

Fedor is considered the best MMA fighter ever, even though he's a relatively small 6' and weighs only 231 lbs. and has a reach of just 74.0".

Rogers comes in at 6'5", fights at around 265 lbs. and has a reach of 81.5".

Based on the above numbers you might figure that this is a mismatch in favor of Rogers. You'd be wrong. It may be a mismatch, but it's in favor of Fedor.

We say that after reviewing the available tapes on both fighters.

What we saw was that Fedor is very quick, he has a passable kick and a powerful punch--that reminded us a little of Rocky Marciano. He's also good inside and on the mat. He's slippery and has good instincts.

Rogers appears to be mostly a boxer, but a slow boxer, and he doesn't look good inside or on the mat. He doesn't seem to have many wrestling or Judo moves. His wins are mostly over paunchy no name club fighters with no real talent or others who lack the moves and instincts. He has mostly won with punches.

Expect Fedor to get inside and low very fast in the fight. On the mat, Rogers' superior height, weight and reach won't mean anything.
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THE LIMBAUGH LYNCH MOB
LINK
No matter how much Limbaugh has pandered to General Powell and other high profile blacks over the years, and no matter how many times he calls a black former footballer"Brother" on the air, he still gets called that all purpose and poorly defined term used to browbeat whites: "racist."

Hmmm...maybe it has something to do with the pandering and how it sounds phony and how intelligent blacks, like people of all races, don't like to be pandered to, and have a natural revulsion to whites who try to act ghetto black around blacks instead of just being themselves and treating everyone with respect.
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JOE BELL IS OUT OF THE SOYLENT GREEN TANK YET AGAIN AND IS BAYING AT THE PLANES OVERHEAD


In his column today, Bell rails against John Wayne Airport and its constant incremental expansion. LINK

The problem with Bell's rant, like the rants of many others who complain about the airport, is that they offer a meaningless solution that won't work: they want the number of flights limited.

Sorry folks, unless those who are most affected by the airport start fighting smart, they're going to find the homes at the end of the runway (where Bell lives) are going to go the way of the homes that used to be located under a similar location for LAX.

Also, unless Costa Mesa Eastsiders get into the fight, they're going to find that they'll have more planes overhead--many more planes--as time goes on.

If Bell and the others want to stop the expansion, they need to start pushing hard for an alternate location for a real airport.

The CM PRESS has suggested for several years now that the best location for a real airport is on a tiny portion of Camp Pendleton. It's the only location that really makes sense. Forget about that train to the desert nonsense. Focus on Camp Pendleton.

If you want to see our earlier comments on this, go to CM PRESS # 9 from Nov. 22, 2006;
CM PRESS #303 of Feb. 21, 2008; or for all the numbers as to why Camp Pendleton makes sense go to CM PRESS # 499 dated Sept. 30, 2008.

If you don't know how to proceed or who to talk to or how to really organize for effective political action, drop us a line. We have some ideas.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

CM PRESS # 841

FREE FISH TACOS TODAY IN COSTA MESA
Grand opening special at Baja Fish Tacos at 171 E. 17th Street until 9 pm tonight. LINK to OC REGISTER article. The location is on the south side of the street in a shopping center just west of Orange Ave.

Of course, if you're into free food all the time, you can visit the best restaurant on W. 19th Street--the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen at 720 W. 19th Street, between Placentia and Pomona. Having a free soup kitchen as the best restaurant on the street says something about the Westside. Er...something we'd rather not say.

Anyway, you too can live like a millionaire in Costa Mesa just by taking advantage of all the freebies.
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WILL THERE BE A HATE CRIME INVESTIGATION OF ACCUSED UCLA SLASHER?


Damon Thompson is accused of an unprovoked attack on 20-year-old Katherine Rosen last week in which Thompson allegedly slashed Rosen's throat.

In reporting on this incident today (HERE), the LA TIMES sounds sympathetic to the attacker who is described as "hard working" (Awwwww),and with no prior criminal record (Awwwww). We are also told that his mother flew into Los Angeles from Belize (Awwwww) and his father arrived from out of state (Awwwww) for his arraignment.

His defense attorney then describes the reported attack on Rosen as "a sad situation for all parties involved" (Awwwww).

Ah, yes, it's a sad situation, especially for the innocent victim.

But by stating it that way, the defense attorney makes the intentional slashing of Rosen sound as though it was some sort of mutual accident in which both parties had an equal hand. They didn't. Other news reports indicate that Rosen was apparently just minding her own business when Thompson attacked her.

What about possible motives for the attack? Could there be a racial motive? A religious motive? Is Rosen white? Is she Jewish? We are not told. Could there be a gender motive? Just another motiveless crime? There's no such thing. There is always a motive. We may not like the motive. We may not think it's a valid motive. The motive may make no sense to us. But a perpetrator always has some motive, some reason, in his mind for such an attack.

We are told very little about Katherine Rosen who is apparently the innocent victim. The TIMES tells us her name and age and that she was slashed and stabbed, but that's about it.

The TIMES doesn't bother to tell us anything else about her. Wouldn't readers like to see a photo? Wouldn't they like to know her present condition? How about her parents, did they come to LA? Is she hard working? Is she expected to fully recover? Will she have long term medical conditions? Will she carry scars for life?

Imagine, if you will, that Thompson had been white and Rosen black (actually, the TIMES doesn't tell us anything about Rosen's race, ethnicity or religion--which is often a sure sign that a victim is not black), do you think the TIMES would run the above piece that sounds sympathetic to the perpetrator? Of course it wouldn't. You'd be treated to stories about a possible racial motive even if there wasn't one.

We live in mad, double-standard times.

In life, we have to play the percentages. That's how we survive. But to play the percentages we have to know the facts and statistics of various possible dangers. Violent crime reports should give enough facts to give the public a better idea of dangers so they can live a little more consciously and a little more safely.

What does it mean when the police tell people, after various violent "street"crimes, that they should "always be conscious of their surroundings," if it does not mean to be aware of possible living human beings who may pose a danger to them?

And, then we must ask, do all other human beings pose equal dangers? Is that what the statistics and facts show?

Violent street crime is not an equal opportunity employer. The facts and statistics are clear about this.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

CM PRESS # 840

ILLINOIS: NON-WHITE CRIME MAKING PEOPLE AFRAID TO COME OUT OF THEIR HOMES
As usual, PC cliches about the causes abound as numbnuts try to avoid looking at the real causes for the violence and offer the same lefty non-working solutions. LINK

Want the truth about violent crime? Always check the demographics.
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CLINTON MAKING SENSE ABOUT IRAN
After 8 years of that idiot George Bush acting like a bull in a china shop with his warmongering foreign policy, it's nice to see the Obama administration slowing down war fever. LINK
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BOBCAT IN TREE IN COSTA MESA
LINK
Latest hint that wild animals may be moving closer to humans and adapting to urban life.
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WHITE HOUSE SAYS FOX NEWS SHILLS FOR GOP
LINK
Lately, Bill O'Reilly has been making a fool out of himself as he tries to deny it.
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CM PRESS # 839

TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF US...
North--Santa Ana, aka Chocolate City--Bar guard beaten with baton by patron.
South--Newport Beach, aka Vanilla City--No bar guards beaten again today.
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IS WESTSIDE CITIZEN GETTING RUNAROUND ABOUT FREQUENT LARGE AND NOISY PARTIES?

We received the message below from a Westsider who has been trying to get the CMPD to do something about large noisy parties that are disturbing his quiet enjoyment of his property.

This location is very close to where Mayor Mansoor used to live. One of the reasons that Mr. Mansoor became active in politics was because he also seemed to have been getting the runaround when he complained about noise in that area.

Are you listening Mayor Mansoor?

Although the CMPD has told this citizen that he needs to make a citizen's arrest if they are to do anything, this is really not necessary and he doesn't want to start problems in the area.

The CMPD has the authority under various California Penal Code sections and also under Costa Mesa Municipal Code Sec. 13-277 (LINK) to take action without having to have the citizen start a neighborhood war.

Here's the Message from the Westsider (edited slightly):

On Saturday, October 10, 2009, the neighbor near my house started a party at approximately 5:00 PM and had live music, with a public address system and had the music and speakers so loud that I could not watch TV in my house. We tried closing the doors and windows, but this did not stop the music. This party giver actually sets up a tent, with tables and chairs in the parking lot and has between 50 and 100 party goers.

At 7:45 PM, I called the police and it took them 45 minutes to respond. Yet, 30 minutes after they responded, the music was still blaring. I had called the police three times and had an Officer call me twice. At 8:45 PM, the music stopped. Then at 9:00 PM, the music started again, although at a lower volume, but still loud enough to be disturbing. I sent two emails to Lt. Dondero and one email to the City Council. This morning at 09:45, Lt. Dondero called me and informed me he was no longer in charge of this area, but had forwarded my email to Lt. Manly.

Then he told me that unless I made a "citizens arrest", there was nothing they could do to make the party giver turn the music off or lower the volume. I explained that I was hesitant to make a citizens arrest due to my age and my disabilities and being afraid of retaliation by the arrested party.

So, it appears these people can come to our neighborhood and do whatever they please and we are at their mercy.

If any of you have any suggestions I would appreciate it very much. I have been fighting this party giver for three years now.
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FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA SAYS MOVIE INDUSTRY FALLING APART
LINK

TRIVIA ALERT: Before Coppola made Apocalypse Now, I had a meeting with him and George Lucas in which I pitched my original screenplay "Ragnarok" (which means Apocalypse). It was part of a trilogy I wrote called The Ratland Chronicles.

My screenplay opened with the lead character standing on his head. Coppola's Apocalypse opened the same way. My main musical theme was to be Wagner's The Ride of the Valkyries. Coppola's most memorable music was Wagner's The Ride of the Valkyries (it was blasted from the helicopters before attacks).

My story line had the main characters travelling across a bizarre U.S. in a VW Bus, that ran on manure, after a nuclear war. Coppola's story line had characters travelling up a bizarre river in a boat during the Vietnam War.

Am I saying that my ideas were intentionally grabbed? Nope. But no one creates in a vacuum. Our brains are like sponges taking in things that we are exposed to in life. These things are then sometimes reordered or assembled in slightly different ways. Everyone, consciously or subconsciously, builds on what went before, and I imagine the ideas in my screenplay probably came from my subconscious from things I had probably earlier read or seen.


Oh, and don't forget, the star of Apocalypse Now was named Martin (Sheen). Hmmmm. Don't discount the power of the subconscious to influence your decisions in life.
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ILLEGAL ALIENS FABRICATE PHONY KIDNAP STORY IN CONN.
LINK
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LATEST CITY MANAGER'S REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
LINK
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TRIAL AGAINST CARONA BY HUNT STARTS TUESDAY
LINK

When Hunt ran against Carona,we weren't impressed with Hunt's campaign. And, if a candidate can't even run a good campaign, we often figure he won't be that effective if elected.

However, we've been hearing good things about and from Hunt in the press lately, and we think he's worth taking a second look at when he runs for sheriff again in the next election.
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SOME BLACKS SAY THEY WON'T PLAY FOR LIMBAUGH
Radio talker says he wants to buy the St. Louis Rams. LINK

No doubt, Limbaugh has already lined up some black footballers to call his radio program today to tell him that he's swell and that they'd play for him. This is all so predictable.
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CM PRESS # 838

CARJACKING AT VICTORIA AND PLACENTIA ON WESTSIDE
And, to think, there are numbnuts in Costa Mesa who want our city to be more like Santa Ana. LINK
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ICE STATS FOR SEPTEMBER IN COSTA MESA PER CMPD

2009--38 Detainers issued; 8 for felonies
2008--35 Detainers issued; 10 for felonies
2007--30 Detainers issued; 9 for felonies

SOURCE CMPD: LINK

Oh, Boo Hoo, more illegals to be deported from CM. Perhaps, the City Council should give more of our money to the bleeding heart charity libs so they can tell the illegals that the bleeding heart libs are on their side and against the citizens of Costa Mesa who damn well don't want our city to be any more like Santa Ana, than it already is. How about it City Council?

Hey, Bever, Mansoor, Leece and Monahan, did you think we didn't see you agree with Foley and give some of our tax money to charities that are helping illegal aliens? Maybe you four should travel to Tijuana and weep with the illegals who are being deported.
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TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF US...
North--Santa Ana, aka Chocolate City--Man shot in Ralph's parking lot in possible gang violence this morning. LINK

South--Newport Beach, aka Vanilla City--No one shot in any Ralph's parking lots again this morning.

Note: The shooting this morning in Santa Ana was at the Ralph's at Fairview and MacArthur. That's right on the border with Costa Mesa. We've been seeing more and more violence near this border.

If some of the libs in Costa Mesa have their way, Costa Mesa will be just like Santa Ana.
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PROFESSOR WARNED ABOUT MENTAL STATE OF UCLA STUDENT WHO SLASHED GIRL'S NECK
LINK

We link to this story because it gives a pretty good example of how a person with paranoid delusions, and perhaps with a touch of schizophrenia, looks at others. In such a person's mind, others are always to blame for the person's inadequacies. Such a person becomes obsessed with others or sometimes with just one other.

Here's an email that the slasher sent to one of his professors.

"I believe I heard you, Professor Frank, say that I was 'troubled' and 'crazy' among other things. My outrage at this situation coupled with the pressure of the very weighted examination dulled my concentration and detracted from my performance."

You'll note there's nothing wildly crazy about the slasher's email. But, notice how the slasher imagines (?) he heard the professor say something and how he blames the professor for his poor performance on an examination. There's the giveaway.

We have someone here locally who writes similar (but even nuttier) things and who has sent similar emails to Improvers. This local is a life long failure who blames everything on others. Someone needs to tell this creep that it's not their fault he was born ugly, stupid and impotent.

The sad thing is that some in the local press actually give this nutcake a platform and can't see the signs that he's looney tunes even though an average Psych 101 student should be able to see he has a problem given his all consuming obsession.

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ARE OUR WEAPONS FAILING OUR TROOPS?

Front line troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are complaining that at critical moments their carbines and machine guns jam.LINK

This isn't a new problem. When I was in the Marines we used to have the same problem. Our .50 Caliber machine guns on our tank turrets were always cranky and our .30 caliber machine guns were also a little sensitive. Even when we fired in short bursts, the barrels would get too hot and cause problems.


Part of the problem with what we're giving the troops now is that while the carbines, especially, are very accurate when they're completely cleaned and used on rifle ranges under perfect conditions, combat conditions are not often perfect. One of the reasons these carbines are accurate is because the tolerances are very tight. Tight tolerances mean they have to be very clean to function right.

In combat you can't always keep them as clean as needed.

In the Marines, one of our favorite machine guns was the M3 Grease Gun. Ours were made by the Lionel toy train company, but other firms also produced them. The metal they were made out of was about the same quality of pot metal that you'll find on caulking guns. See photos above.

The Grease Guns looked and felt like toys. If you didn't know anything about guns and you were given the choice of taking a Daisy BB Gun or an M3 Grease Gun into combat, you'd probably opt for the Daisy since it looks and feels more like a real gun and seems to have more quality to it. Of course, you'd be mistaken if you did take the Daisy.

The Grease Gun used the same .45 ammo that we used in our sidearms, so we didn't have to carry too many different types of ammo with us.

The important thing about the Grease Gun was that it almost never jammed. You could bury it in mud or drop it in water and it'd still fire. Of course, what you gave up was accuracy. Still, I think the front line troops, unless they're snipers, wouldn't mind something like the Grease Gun when there are dozens of Taliban right in front of them trying to kill them.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

CM PRESS # 837

CALIFORNIA BUDGET ALREADY IN THE RED AGAIN JUST 10 WEEKS AFTER PASSAGE
LINK

Of course it is. Nothing has been done to reindustralize the state. To get out of the hole, both California and the U.S. as a whole have to get back to making things, and not worrying so much about the smokestacks. The CM PRESS wrote about the upside down pyramid of the U.S. economy more than ten years ago and we stated then that an economy built on paperpushers, agents and middlemen is heading for a fall.

We're sorry to say that we were right.
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ARPAIO SAYS HE'LL KEEP ARRESTING ILLEGALS NO MATTER WHAT THE FEDS SAY
LINK
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RIGHEIMER STARTS TO GET IT ABOUT THE OC FAIRGROUNDS

Jim Righeimer has a slap-himself-on-his-forehead column in the almost daily Daily Pilot today about the sale of the OC FAIRGROUNDS. LINK

We congratulate Righeimer on finally understanding at least part of the what's likely to happen.

Unfortunately, Righeimer's idea of an initiative to restrict land use and keep the place as a fairgrounds won't fly. Even if enough signatures are gathered and an initiative makes it to the ballot, and then wins, the courts will strike it down (I'll spare you the legalese).

Anyway, here's our column from CM PRESS # 771 of August 4, 2009 that lays it all out for you.

Maybe Righeimer read our column, and that's why he now understands a little of what is likely to happen.

ORANGE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS--HOW REAL ESTATE FORTUNES ARE MADE!

Maybe there really are some folks who want to buy the OC Fairgrounds and keep it as a fairgrounds forever.

However, there have to be some who see it as a chance to make many millions of dollars with very little risk.

Here, by the numbers, is how the gravy train can run for those who want to make a killing in real estate (in simplest terms). Note that the first step can be used both by those who really do want to keep it as a fairgrounds forever and by those who want to make a big profit:

1. Set up a non-profit corporation and buy the fairgrounds as fairgrounds,with fairgrounds zoning--the land is valued much less for such uses than for some other uses--so you'll get it for a song. Tell everyone who will listen that you intend to keep it as fairgrounds forever to help with your charitable causes and to serve Costa Mesa. You especially want to help the kids.

2. Once you own the fairgrounds, land bank it for a couple of years while servicing your debt (at least in part) by intensifying its present fairgrounds uses.

3. Work to elect a friendly Costa Mesa City Council.

4. Once you have a friendly City Council (you only need three of the five to be on board with you) claim that the fairgrounds is not bringing in the money you thought it would and you need a zoning change for a large portion of the land so you can maintain the remaining part as a reduced size fairgrounds in order to continue helping poor children who will all become gang members unless you help them with after school programs, etc.

5. Have your pals on the Costa Mesa City Council vote to change the zoning on a large part of the land to residential, office, retail or even a few institutional uses. (Laugh silently to yourself as you hear your Council stooges talking about Costa Mesa being a city with a heart, and how we have to help the children.)

6. Sell those rezoned parts of the land at the much higher price you'll get with the new zoning. In public, shed [crocodile] tears for the loss of the land but claim that, gee, you need the money to help the poor at risk children. Also say that the new smaller fairgrounds will be much better than the old larger version because you're going to bring in some new activities for children and families.

7. Manipulate public opinion by having your dimwitted surrogates (on the Council, in the blogosphere, and in the local press) claim that those who see what you're doing, and who speak out about it, hate children and especially poor brown children, and that unless you can proceed, these poor brown children will turn to gangs and terrorize the city.

8. Laugh as you go to the bank to count your money.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

CM PRESS # 836

STATER BROS. AT FARVIEW/BAKER NOW HAS NO STEAL SHOPPING CARTS

The CM PRESS spoke at countless City Council meetings over the last couple of years suggesting that the City should stop paying a cart pickup service $40 grand a year and just have stores install carts whose wheels lock up when they get to the edge of the parking lot.

Finally, the City Council enacted an ordinance requiring stores to have such carts. Maybe the Council got tired of hearing us suggesting this.

Today is the first time we've seen them at Stater Bros.

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OBAMA WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE--WTF?
Oh, wait a minute. Could it be that the Nobel Committee did this to nudge Obama and give him a backbone against the warmongering neocons so he'll wind down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as to spur him on with his more even handed approach to the Israel/Palestinian problem and Iran?

Don't get it? Say you're a teacher and you have a bully kid in your class. What's the best way to stop his bullying?

Why, catch him doing something nice for someone else, and then give him a class award for Class Peacekeeper. Thereafter, the bully may feel subconsciously constrained against bullying others lest he ruin--in his own mind--his new internalized self-image as a Peacekeeper, and he may actually start protecting kids who others are bullying.
LINK
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NATIVO LOPEZ SUED BY COMPANY
Latino Activist. LINK
Here's a Costa Mesa connection. LINK
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

CM PRESS # 835

HERE'S THE LATEST AP REPORT ON THE SALE OF THE OC FAIRGROUNDS WHICH WENT ON THE MARKET TODAY
LINK

The AP report says the 150-acre site can bring as much as $ 180 million. Although Costa Mesa has various zoning rights over the site, Costa Mesa won't be able to stop a sale.

As you no doubt know, use of this site for a swapmeet or a yearly fair or the other present uses is not the highest and best use of the land.

Get ready for the property to be carved up and built out in various ways. We expect to see whole Irvine type neighborhoods plopped down on parts of the land along with some shopping centers and office uses.
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BREAKING NEWS--THE CM PRESS HAS JUST FINISHED LOOKING AT ALL APPLICATIONS AND ALL RESUMES OF THOSE APPLYING FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION

Here are a few of our fast response thoughts on what we've seen.

Most of the applications and resumes were what we had expected. Most of the applicants had the usual level of education and the usual level of work experience. Yada yada.

We've seen hundreds of resumes and applications just like them over the years in a variety of venues. Nevertheless, we're pleased that most of these folks who applied actually live in Costa Mesa. A city is its people, and in our view most of the people who applied are good for the city simply by their presence here.

What troubled us about many (but not all) of the applicants, however, is that while almost all of them wrote the de riguer several lines about how much they love the city and how much they want to help the city, few of them have actually taken the initiative to get involved in real grass roots improvement of the city by putting themselves on the line by attending public meetings and speaking out about important matters in this city, and especially about the Westside which is the key to improving all of Costa Mesa.

Where the hell have they been?

Don't they know that they don't have to be appointed to a commission or committee to be active? Don't they know that activism starts by paying attention to local matters and speaking out about them?

Don't they know that the City Council and Planning Commission meet about every two weeks and decide important matters that affect all of us who live here? Why aren't many of them at those meetings? Too busy? Well, if they're too busy to do it on their own dime and time then they shouldn't expect to be appointed just because they think it would be nice to be appointed. Don't do us any favors.

Watch what happens after the selection is made. Most of the applicants will never be heard from again. So much for loving the city and for wanting to help it.

We happen to know that Mayor Mansoor, Councilmembers Monahan, Bever, Leece and even, yes even, Katrina Foley all started off in grass roots activism.

As far as we know, not one of them waited around for someone to appoint them to a committee or commission before they started doing what they thought was right for the city. They got in the trenches and worked for what they believed was good for the city. No fancy titles. No appointments. Just doing the nitty gritty thankless work that is necessary.

Their appointments and elections came later--after they were already doing for free what they felt had to be done--not after someone appointed them.

By the time each of them got an appointment or ran for the City Council, they were already putting hours and hours into grassroots level activism and they were already fairly well known in the city.

As far as we know, not one of them fell out of bed one day and said, "Gee wouldn't it be keen to sit on a committee or commission or on the City Council."

Improving Costa Mesa isn't a spectator sport. You have to get in the arena, and you have to take it on yourself to do so. Love Costa Mesa and want the City to be made nicer? Great. Just do it. Don't sit around waiting for someone to appoint you.

One of the applicants has said negative things about Improvers by calling them"self-annointed Improvers." Well, who the hell does he think annoints them? They annoint themselves. Who the hell does he think was behind the overlay and most of the other changes that have been in the works on the Westside? I'll tell you who: It's the self-annointed Improvers.

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HOW ABOUT PUBLISHING I.Q.'s?
When people run for office or apply for commissions here in Costa Mesa we get to learn a little about them. Unfortunately, we don't learn one of the most important things of all. Are they smart or are they stupid?

Now, we don't need MENSA level I.Q.'s for our elected and appointed officials, but shouldn't they at least be a little smart? Wouldn't that head off a lot of problems?

The buzz on the street is that there may be at least one person who wants to be appointed by the Council to a City body, who is so stupid that some of the folks are embarrassed for those on the Council who may favor and vote for such a person.

Councilmembers really have to do better than to just appoint people who kiss up to them. The improvement of Costa Mesa, and especially the Westside, requires bright people in all positions, not know-nothings and do-nothings. We need people who can take the initiative and not just show up at meetings and sit on the dais like mushrooms and we need people who understand what improvement actually means and how to achieve it.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT INTELLIGENCE

Even the dumbest person can reach a conclusion if all the facts are laid out in front of him with no ambiguity. Thus, even the dumbest person can look at a red ball and conclude that it is a red ball. That's not the kind of person we need on City bodies.

We need people who can make logical inferences--connect up the dots even when some of the dots are missing--and we need people who can think their actions through to logical conclusions even if those conclusions are many steps and several years ahead.

Take Triangle Square, for example. Wouldn't a bright person have been able to tell the City that it was a mess aborning because its design was wrong even before it was built?

Even today, we have many people in this city who don't seem to understand why Triangle Square is such a mess. We've had several people on City bodies and in the private sector publish things in the local paper about how they knew what had to be done at Triangle Square and, by golly, they were going to do it. Then, one after another, they failed. Why? Because they didn't really understand why Triangle Square doesn't work.

So, we keep electing people based on their smiles or handshakes, and they appoint people based on the same things and we end up with a city that is trending more like Santa Ana than our sister city, Newport Beach, and we continue to have a Westside that is illegal alien central, and people on City bodies who don't know why this is the case and who thus have no idea about how to solve the problem.

In fact, we have some who want to be on the Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission who don't even think we have a problem. How many facts, how many statistics do such numbnuts have to see to understand there is a problem? These people are like the OJ Simpson jury. Dumb.
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THOUSANDS LINE UP IN DETROIT FOR YOUR MONEY
People lined up to get so-called stimulus money to pay their rent. LINK

Think this just happens in Detroit? Think again. A variation of this happened at the Costa Mesa City Council meeting a couple of weeks ago when the Council--including the pretend fiscal conservatives on the Council--voted to give your money to non-profits that will supposedly give some of your money (after overhead, salaries, etc. are deducted for the non-profits) to people in Costa Mesa to pay their rent.

Folks, the only difference between what happened in Detroit and what happened here in Costa Mesa is the scale of the giveaway. It's your hard earned money that is being given away.

Rush Limbaugh played a sound clip of the mess in Detroit the other day. A woman waiting for her free money was asked where the money came from. She replied that it came from the city or the state. She was then asked where the city or state got the money and she replied from Obama. Next, she was asked where Obama got the money and there was a pause, and then she replied she didn't know. Well, we know. It's from the taxpayers.

Also as we previously reported, the City Council actually gave $ 20,000 of your money to a non-profit, whose leader sits on the very Committee that recommends how much money to give to each non-profit--including her own, and then this leader wrote a column on a local blog complaining that the CMPD had arrested some illegal aliens for illegally soliciting work from our street corners. Good grief!

What's wrong with the City Council? Are Mansoor, Bever, Leece and Monahan drinking water supplied by Katrina Foley? Did they take some dumb pills?

We're getting more than a little fed up by the stupid actions of the Costa Mesa City Council.

The so-called fiscal conservatives like to mouth off about how bad Washington is, and then they do the same stupid things right here where they can actually make a better decision.

Also at this week's City Council meeting, a couple of Councilmembers asked audience members to buy in Costa Mesa. That was just before the Council spent hundreds of thousands of dollars buying goods and services outside of Costa Mesa.

And,when we bring up this double standard, Councilmembers tell us that they have to go with the lowest bidder. Right. We understand that. But, that's exactly what the rest of us do also. We buy outside of Costa Mesa if we can get a better deal. Geez! Stop the phony crap.
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OBAMA'S REGULATORY CZAR: WHITE AMERICANS TOO RACIST FOR SOCIALISM

Opined that racist Whites figure they'll be the ones paying for freebie social programs for Blacks and Latinos, so racist Whites resist such programs. Ho hum. LINK
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BREAKING NEWS: ALL SECTORS OF THE LHC ARE NOW COOLED DOWN TO THE OPERATIONAL ZONE TEMPERATURES AND THE MAGNETS ARE BEING TESTED
LINK
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A WAR OF ABSURDITY
Robert Scheer gets it right about Afghanistan. LINK
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ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO PROP UP A PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL MISTAKE

At its October 12, 2009 regularly scheduled meeting, the Planning Commission will decide whether or not to allow the South Coast Collection (formerly South Coast Home Furnishings Centre), at 3333 Hyland Avenue, erect a 60-foot tall freeway oriented LED sign as well as other additional signage. Residents on Michigan Avenue are expected to complain about the light that will come from such a sign as they have complained about the light from the present signs.

The owner of the center says the new sign(s) are needed to bring business to the center.
LINK

BACKGROUND:
Back when this project originally came forward, the CM PRESS told the Planning Commission and the City Council that the entire project needed a rethinking.

Why?

Our opinion was/is that assembling a number of high-end furniture stores in this location exclusively for a furniture center would not generate enough traffic and activity to make it a success. There has to be a proper mix of tenants to create "life" and make a center work. We didn't see that happening at this center.

However, we could see why the original developer decided to turn this into a furniture center--the project is underparked and a furniture center doesn't require as much parking as other uses.

By taking this route, the developer was able to maximize the rentable under-roof space instead of having to cut back on rentable space to put in a larger parking lot. The more rentable space, the more valuable the center is when you sell it since shopping centers are priced based on rental and pro-forma rental income.

We felt that the developer would build and flip the center (which he did) and that eventually new owners would come to the Planning Commission and the City Council and ask for a change in use of the center to either some sort of outlet or discount mall or maybe even office uses, and that the City would agree to this, even though the center is underparked, just to keep the center from failing and taking away sales tax revenue to the city. So far this hasn't happened. But, if the signs are approved and they fail to turn the center around, you can expect the owners to come and ask for a use change of some type.

Lastly, we felt that the way the site was configured was uninviting for customers. The parking lot is chopped up and too woodsy. A little too bucolic, as we say on the street.

Despite our comments, this project, like that other brilliant one--Triangle Square--was passed by some people who sit on the dais who have very little knowledge of how to put together a successful shopping center of any type.

Now, Costa Mesa has another center in its midst that is failing, as we believed it would just by looking at the plans before it was built. This makes it a Costa Mesa problem--just as Triangle Square has become a Costa Mesa problem because of poor planning decisions--not just an owner's problem.
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TROOP MORALE FALLING IN AFGHANISTAN
It's a meaningless mess pushed by warmongering neocons, and we have no reason to be there. LINK
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Those are our opinions. If you think we got something wrong, drop us a comment. But, if you do so, please do not use "anonymous," as your name. One cowardly eunuch--sterile both in mind and body--constantly uses that name and thinks he's not being seen as he peeps out from under his rock where he lives with the other loathsome creatures.

CM PRESS # 834

MANY VOTERS IN WAKE COUNTY, N.C. VOTING AGAINST SCHOOL DIVERSITY
Finally realizing that the Great God Diversity isn't doing much for their own kids despite all the propaganda about how wonderful it is. LINK
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CITY COUNCIL FAILED TO SEE FUTURE PARKING PROBLEMS
The Costa Mesa City Council screened the dense 44 unit detached home project proposed for 573-591 Victoria Street last night but failed to suggest to the developer that he should try to incorporate some proper guest parking in a common lot.

Instead, the Council sent a signal to the developer that his plan of putting one guest parking space right next to each of the 44 units was adequate.

Think about it. If you buy one of the units and you have a small party with ten quests, one of those guests will get to park next to your home, and nine others will have to park right next to homes owned by nine other people or find on-street parking on Maple or some other street.

And, when we wrote that the guest parking spaces were right next to each home, we meant it. They are so close that they look a little like the many drive-ways we have in Costa Mesa that extend to the side of a garage.

Imagine coming home from work every day and finding a different strange car parked right next to your garage. Will you wonder if there's a burglar in your home? Will you find people doing illegal things in their cars? Will people be sitting in those cars with their radios blaring?

See any problems? Well, the Council didn't. Once this project is built, get ready to see homeowners showing up at City Council meetings complaining about the parking problems that the Council should have addressed.

And, get ready for reports from the CMPD about frequent visits to the project because of neighbor conflicts over parking.

Once again, it seems that the Councilmembers were unable to think things through to their logical conclusions.

LINK to dwgs of project. For more details see CM PRESS # 833.

Solar panels on the roof? Gosh golly, Mabel.

We think the Council may have failed to see the parking problem because the developer pushed certain trendy buttons in their minds about solar panels on the roofs and green construction. He sold them the sizzle, not the steak.

While these things are nice, it'd be a little like having a car salesman tell you about how fuel efficient a new car is, and then when you buy it you discover that you never want to drive it because the ride is poor and the seats are uncomfortable.

The point we're trying to make is that actual living human beings have to buy these homes and they have to feel comfortable there and not have constant parking problems. Form should follow function, and the functionality of parking is important.

Notwithstanding anything that seems to the contrary that we've written above, we think this is a good project and we look forward to it being built and to seeing more like this on the Westside--but, please City Council, start tweaking these a little to put in proper parking.

Just to be clear; this development has the proper number of parking spaces to meet our current parking codes. The main problem, in our opinion, is that the guest parking spaces are in the wrong place.

Oh, and just to take this a step further, our parking codes should probably require more spaces based on various other factors including some that are extrinsic to the the developments themselves. For example, in this case there is no on-street parking on Victoria where guests can park.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

CM PRESS # 833

SHHHH, DON'T TELL NEWPORT THAT COSTA MESA IS HOLDING THAT CITY BACK OR NEWPORTERS MAY ASK FOR A DIVORCE

On this LINK to the OC Register, you'll see a map showing the percentages of students in local schools who receive free or reduced rate food at school.

Blue is the best color, i.e. cities where the most students pay for their own food. Orange is the worst, i.e. cities where taxpayers have to pay for the most food for the students. Green is second to worst.
Light brown is the second to best.

In our area, the city with the most students receiving the freebies is Santa Ana. But, if you've got a head for statistics you could have figured that out from other statistics that the CM PRESS has been publishing for years. Santa Ana is in the dumps. Virtually all its statistics are worse than any surrounding city.

Unfortunately,take a look at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

What do you want to bet that if Newport Beach had its own school district separate from Costa Mesa, it'd be in blue, meaning that few students need freebies.

And, if Costa Mesa were its own school district without Newport Beach, we would be almost as bad as Santa Ana. We might squeeze through as second to worst in the ratings and be colored green, but we'd be close to being Santa Ana's orange.

So, the point is this. Once again, Costa Mesa is helped by being associated with Newport Beach, but Newport Beach is harmed by being associated with Costa Mesa.

Frankly, and we've written this before, the CM PRESS believes that the citizens of Costa Mesa would be far better off if our whole city were made part of Newport Beach.

Most of the present duplication (two city halls, etc.) would be eliminated and both cities would save money, and our belief is that the citizens of Newport Beach would never put up with the conditions we find in Costa Mesa and they'd work overtime to pull Costa Mesa out of the Santa Ana category.

Again, don't tell Newporters that we're dragging them down. They might decide to start their own school district. Then, Costa Mesa would really look Third World.
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AND THE MOON SAYS, SPLISH SPLASH (MAYBE)
NASA plans to bomb a crater on the moon this Friday to see if any signs of water fly up from the explosion where it can be seen by instruments and quantified.

The point is that if there are enough water molecules on the moon in the form of ice, then a permanent base can be established there that will be able to extract the water from the soil (and ice) and eventually serve as a launching pad for the human exploration and possible habitation of Mars and beyond. LINK
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ICE STATS FOR SEPTEMBER NOT PUBLISHED YET BY THE CMPD
We'll post them as soon as we get them. Here's the LINK, if you also want to check.
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AHMADINEJAD HAS NO JEWISH ROOTS
Article refutes earlier news reports. LINK
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT
LINK to Agenda.

The hot item is the previously reported screening request for a proposal to build 44 units at 573-591 Victoria Street (between Miner and Maple). As we wrote before, this proposed project is taking advantage of the Westside density bonus, and if built as proposed will have 17 more units than are ordinarily allowed. The bonus allowance was put into effect to spur new home building and ownership on the Westside to help with the revitalization of the area.

Without the density bonus for this project, the normal density would be 12 units per acre for a total of 27 units on these two lots, but with the density bonus, which allows 20 units per acre, this project ends up with the aforementioned 44 units.

So far so good. However, the CM PRESS sees a problem with this particular development, in that the parking--speaking from real world experience--is inadequate within the confines of the development and there is no on street parking on Victoria.

This is one of those devils in the details things. Hopefully, the Council will send a message to the developer tonight that the development is welcome and that the Council is happy to see the developer step up, but something needs to be done to stop a potential parking nightmare.

Perhaps the Council will be able to offer some other creative financial incentives to the developer if the developer agrees to remove a few of the 44 units to put in some central parking in the project.

When a developer pencils out a project, he has an idea of the type of profit that he stands to make for the risk involved in building a project. So, in this case, the developer is figuring on the profit from 44 units, and he apparently figures that in this lousy real estate market that he's willing to take the gamble to get that level of profit. However, if he has to cut out a number of units to put in parking, his potential profit goes down. Will the City Council come up with some creative ideas to replace that profit? We hope so. LINK to the agenda item on this project.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

CM PRESS # 832

TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF US...
North--Santa Ana--Chocolate City--Two men rob towing company. LINK
South--Newport Beach--Vanilla City--No one robbed any towing company again today.

Can you imagine that there are actually people in Costa Mesa who think Costa Mesa should be more like Santa Ana and less like Newport Beach? Are they nuts? You bet.
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LIST OF APPLICANTS FOR PLANNING AND PARKS

Because of the recent resignation of Jim Fisler from the Planning Commission, the City Council put out a call for applicants interested in his seat.

Also, because it was expected that at least one Parks and Recreation Commissioner might want to move up to Planning, a call was also put out for a replacement there, just in case.

The City Council is expected to select a replacement(s) at their regularly scheduled October 20, 2009 meeting.

If you've never seen how this works, you might want to watch either in Chambers or on TV.

The usual basic procedure is that Councilmembers will be randomly given a position: 1-5. Then, the number 1 Councilmember will nominate someone from the list. If there is a second, the whole council will then vote on the nominee. If the nominee gets three votes, the process is over and that person gets the seat. If there is no second, or if the nominee doesn't get three votes, the next Councilmember will nominate someone and the procedure will continue in this fashion until one nominee gets at least three votes.

Here's the final list:

PLANNING COMMISSION APPLICANTS

Chris McEvoy
Robert Dickson, Jr. (also applying for PRC)
Leonard Steinberg
Christina Poulos (also applying for PRC)
Robert Norling
Jim Fitzpatrick
Jeff Mathews

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APPLICANTS

Robert Dickson, Jr. (also applying for Planning)
Christina Poulos (also applying for Planning)
Daniel Skahill

Our first impression (more to come later, perhaps). We don't see McEvoy or Dickson as being good for the improvement of the Westside.

McEvoy ran unsuccessfully for City Council and seems to support leaving the Westside pretty much as it is now.

Dickson has been outspoken against cutting back on industrial zoning and seems to be against any genuine deep improvement of the Westside--at least as some of us who started the improvement movement would define such improvement. He has also called Improvers "self-anointed Improvers." Here's a column he wrote in the almost daily Daily Pilot in which he also seems to defend lefty Katrina Foley while taking potshots at improvers. LINK

In his column, Dickson wrote the following: "They [Improvers] accuse Westside businesses of everything from hiring illegal immigrants to causing cancer — all without a shred of evidence."

Good grief! And,this guy wants to be on either of the two commissions where he'll get to vote on important Westside issues?
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UN SAYS NORWAY IS BEST PLACE TO LIVE
US drops a place to # 13 as we become more Third World. LINK
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ELBARADEI: ISRAEL NUMBER ONE NUCLEAR THREAT TO MIDEAST
LINK

More and more people are questioning the U.S's double standard. Why no demands that Israel dismantle its nukes and why aren't we even demanding inspections of their nuke facilities?
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NEW TODAY--ALL SECTORS OF THE LHC ARE NEAR OPERATIONAL TEMPERATURE
Only Sector 34 is still a little warm (it's now in the range of minus 99.67 to minus 451.57 degrees fahrenheit), but it's cooling down rapidly. If no problems develop, the most powerful atom smasher on the planet (by far)and also Earth's largest machine will be on track for beam commissioning as planned. LINK
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OC DA DNA DATA BASE GROWING
From the LA TIMES. LINK DNA 'R US.
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WOMAN IN FLA. ATTACKED BY RACCOONS AS WILD ANIMALS ADAPT TO CITY LIFE
LINK

News reports recently have been full of stories of wild animals moving into urban settings including stories of bears entering homes.

Here in coastal OC, the CM PRESS has seen dozens of possums walking the streets, at least six raccoons walking down a sidewalk on separate occasions, and a full grown coyote standing nonchalantly on a sidewalk watching cars pass by. There also appears to be an increasing number of hawks in the area.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.